In each match irrespective of the game whether played by one person like tennis or snooker on one hand or by eleven persons like in cricket or football on the other hand only one of the two wins the game unless and until it is draw or tie which is not that often in any case very well proves that in bulk majority of cases one team loses and the other one wins so from that point of view yesterday also either India or Bangladesh had to win when they faced each other in Asia Cricket Cup in Bangladesh and only one did win and not two but how, I tremble myself to pen to be honest.

Bangladesh has tamed none but India which had even lifted World Cup which Bangladeshis could not even dream of what to talk of reality but nevertheless on Friday 16th March, 2012 hosts have created a historical event which will not be forgotten by whole of India population of 1,210,193,422 (1.21 billion as per 2011) including right from President Prathiba Patel and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh down to an ordinary citizen of mighty India and not just the team of 11 players at least during this century if not beyond. Truly speaking anyone including me must be very much impartial and completely unbiased without any personal tinge and prejudices whatsoever as and when someone is to comment on any subject and I will build up my writing on nothing but facts and facts alone and then leave it to fair judgment of the readers like you to appreciate or condemn as the case may be. I am not at all trying to earn any laurels from you but nevertheless at the same time I do wish that this be read by maximum persons particularly the countries namely my beloved Pakistan whose green passport holder I am; Kuwait where I am living since 1978; Bangladesh which created history; India where still many may not be believing it and the rest of the world at large.

Before jumping to the match itself which you must have already watched live on television and also have read in many newspapers but yet I would love to draw your kind attention, if not taxing and annoying, towards some very much relevant facts and figures about both the countries which directly or indirectly do influence the teams under reference. As per global ranking Indian population is at serial number two after China which leads the world whereas Bangladesh comes at serial 9 at the same rating which proves beyond any shadow of doubt that India has billions of people to select just 11 persons to play cricket for the country whereas Bangladesh is very much shorthanded to pick up 11 cricketers. India has a big edge over Bangladesh to pick up best of the best to play cricket whereas it is not so with Bangladesh. Who can dispute if any about the money factor whether we talk of cricket, education and or politics, to mention just few? According to countries’ per capita income India is listed at serial 161 with 3,500 US $ per capita income while Bangladesh is very much below of India since it is shown at serial 195 with a figure of 1,700 US $ per individual. Who is better off and where? Who can think of playing game if stomach is empty and if at all still anyone with empty stomach tries to play then I very much doubt that he can be seen in the play ground but can certainly be found in an ordinary ward of a hospital if not in intensive care of the hospital? Who is better India or Bangladesh? The last comparison is about health standard which is normally measured from mortality rate. It is established that 46.07 people out of 1,000 die in India but 48.99 people die out of 1,000 in Bangladesh proving that Indians are healthier than Bangladeshis so India has a clear advantage over Bangladesh on this account as well. Therefore, is nut shell comparatively speaking India has very clear cut edge over Bangladesh in all the three aspects enumerated above hence it could very easily without any difficulties and hurdles select the ever best team on the face of earth to not only defeat but even annihilate Bangladesh but alas its just 11 players who are responsible rather exclusively responsible to be taken to task for having have bowed down the heads of none but just 1.12 billion Indians.

Very much interestingly as International Cricket Council which is an umbrella organization to oversee cricket activities wherever the game is being played which in addition to other functions also evaluates and categorizes playing countries on merits and therefore under the category of one day teams India is at 3rd place whereas Bangladesh is right at the bottom on the table. India has earned 5,111 points and its rating is 111 while Bangladesh has just 135 points to its credit and regretfully its rating is merely 8 which is not even a two digit figure. As per ICC evaluation Indian batsmen Kohli and Dhoni are included amongst best 10 but unfortunately none of Bangldeshi could be placed even at the far end what to talk of somewhere nearer to even Dhoni as Kohli is better placed than his captain. This is really very much awful that despite the fact that Bangldeshis neither as a team nor as individual player wise matched Indians but yet they did prove as devil daring to defeat Indians in such a thrilling but convincing manner which is still beyond anybody’s comprehension even though 24 hours have passed and result cannot be altered from any set of imagination.

Indians have scored 289 runs after losing 5 wickets which is not that bad score if I am not dishonest and they must had thought, to some very rightly, that by posing such a mammoth score and that too for minnows like Bangladesh they have already won the game but it did not prove so despite the fact that at least 1.1 billion if not whole 1.12 billion Indians must have prayed for Indian victory. Bengalis scored 293 and not just 290 which too would have tuned them victorious and that too in 49 overs and 2 balls though still they had 4 balls left to be played very well proves that Bengalis have really outwitted mighty Indians who had though that after winning over Sri Lanka which is also World Cup holder they had almost qualified and destined to meet Pakistan in final of the cup to be played on 22nd instant but they had to taste bitter quinine which they wanted to vomit but instead had to swallow it. I simply cannot be unfair to Sachin Tendulkar who scored 100th century in cricket history-an honor which none on the face of earth can boast of whatsoever. Sachin is undisputedly the ever best batsman born till this day and yesterday when he scored century he had assured not only himself and the team but the whole Indian nation that now Bangldeshis will be automatically awed by his performance which will hover on the minds of host batsmen when they come for batting. Sachin whose test debut started on 15th November 1989 and he played 1st one day on 18th December 1989 itself testifies that he being such a legend with so many years’ rich experience must be laughing if not taunting seeing a less experienced Bengladeshi batsman hitting a boundary because he himself has scored 12 boundaries in his knock of 114 runs and would not have imagined that anyone could snatch away game from Indians which was not that wrong assumption in any case. I think even some Bangladeshis too but excluding these 11 host cricketers may have also thought that Sachin century has dimmed and if not taken away their victory chances but eventually all such like people were defeated.

Looking at the statistics of the match itself we note some very interesting or more correctly shocking facts which go more in the favor of Bangladeshis than Indians. Hosts have given away as much as 18 runs as extra whereas in one day even one run changes the fate but it very vividly means that these runs though added to their total figure were not scored by Indian batsmen whereas on the other hand Indian bowlers have proved to be more accurate and economical because they handed in just 12 runs resultantly it is proved that Bangladeshis gifted away 6 more runs to Indians otherwise their score had been 283 instead of 289. It is worth mentioning that Bengalis scored 293 runs and that too in 49.2 whereas one of the most favorite team could boast of only 289 runs and that too after playing full quote of allotted 50 over. Who doesn’t know, I am sure not even a single soul whether male or female, that in one day even one ball is of immense importance what to talk of 4 balls? Past records very well prove that just one ball had sealed the fate of the team which was winning just one ball away so it is not less than do and die situation if one truly realizes.

As regards sixes which is not that easy in any case and many times one notices that not even 1 six is hit in the whole inning of great hitters but very much amusingly one finds that star studded Indians hit just 3 (I Sachin 2 Raina) whereas Bangladeshi batsmen have hit exactly double of it (1 Juhur 2 Saqib 3 Mushfiq). Just check yourself to realize that age and experience wise Sachin simply cannot be compared with any batsman one can personify simply because he is the one who has created history in cricket by scoring 100 centuries but yet I cannot help saluting so juniors like Juhur or Saqib or even Mushfiq for that matter who though are much junior but yet they excelled over Sachin in the same match by hitting more sixes. In case of boundaries both are almost at par though Indian score is 25 whereas their opponents ran short by 1 and could touch the figure of 24 only but in reality Indians should have sent ball to the rope much more times than just once for the very obvious reason that they are seasoned and legendary batsmen. Six and four combined together mock Indians though hosts have earned due respect on this account which is well supported by the figures. Isn’t it below the dignity of Indian batsmen? When the batting of both the teams is compared one really too much bewilders that not only initially but even till much later stage Indians were very much better placed than Bangladeshis and on the face of it Indians were destined to win the match.

Indians 1st, 2nd and 3rd wicket had fallen down when the scores were 25 (Gambhir); 173 (Kohli); 259 (Raina) whereas in case of Bangldeshis it stands out as 15 (Nazimuddin); 128 (Juhur); 156 (Tamim) respectively but still one way or the other at the end of the day the so called weaker nick-named as Tigers could very well pounce on the mighty opponents. As a human it is quite but natural that when hosts lost its 1st wicket at 15, not only the team but the nation too have heaved in disgust and pain since they had a big total in front of them to score and hardly they were 15 when they lost 1st player though Indians lost 1st player at 25. The difference had widened between them still the more so far as falling down of 2nd wicket is concerned. Indians had scored 173 when Kohli was out but in case of Bangladesh they were at 128 when its second batsman was sent back to pavilion. It is damn upsetting for hosts Bangladeshis to lose 3rd wicket of Tamim so early at the score of 156 only whereas Indian 3rd player left the crease when they had scored 259. These figures need no further explanation and or discussion since they themselves tell us the story. The difference in score between the two had too much widened and one needs very strong nerves to withstand the pressure so built up and hosts did not waver even for a minute and kept on hitting the ball as and when they thought prudent and in this manner they kept on adding runs to their individual and team score.

Before I conclude I simply cannot help writing that Bangladesh had scared Pakistan in its inaugural match and though my beloved Pakistani team did win the match but with very small margin and at one stage it looked like that Pakistan may be defeated by the hosts but luckily Pakistan won the match but it must have shattered the nerves of our team if I am not mistaken. Bangladesh on the very opening day had very rightly signaled that they must not be taken as lightly as one may think of. Bangladeshis had then rung the bell for Indians and Sri Lankans who were to face them in any case but perhaps Indians which can rightly boast of owning many much seasoned players like other teams did not care about the hosts airing the pre-warnings and thus they had to pay back for it but so dearly.